The Flower Blog

 
"Came the spring with all its splendor. All its birds and all its blossoms. All its flowers and leaves and grasses."

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

A new year begins and hints of prime wedding season are in the air! Gillespie Florists handles weddings all year long but springtime heralds in favorite bridal flowers such as peonies, tulips, hydrangea, calla lilies, gerbera daisies, ranunculus, and roses. These flowers range from romantic combination of textural soft pastels to chic streamlined shapes and bold colors. All styles and color themes come to life at our store under the guidance of our experienced wedding specialist and floral designer staff! What can Gillespie Florists do for your special day? Schedule a free wedding consultation here to begin your wedding florals journey with us! Below is a snapshot sampling of a few 2016 spring weddings featuring bridal party bouquets; boutonnieres and a lovely headpiece!  

A beautiful selection of spring wedding pieces made perfect to help our newlyweds have the most wonderful and memorable day ever! Each wedding floral theme has been planned out to the finest detail including tips for keeping your florals fresh once they've been delivered! We love the color combinations and variety our couples' have dreamed up! Baby blue mums, hydrangea and ribbon with white monte casino, shimmering silver leaves and offwhite roses; Cream colored roses with soft pink peonies; striking bouquets of poppies, waxflower and roses; classic cream hydrangea and bridal pink roses; festive pops of color through orange gerberas, sherbert roses and purple stock; bouquets, corsages and boutonnieres of assorted succulents, waxflower wrapped in twine; timeless tulips of lavender and white with ethereal heather as filler; pink roses and sweetheart roses with waxflower in a stunning headpiece.

Gorgeous, bold, romantic, festive and chic; these are a few samples of what the fabulous staff at Gillespie Florists can do for your wedding day whether it be in winter, spring, summer or fall! Click here to schedule a free wedding consultation with our awesome wedding specialist and check out more of our wedding/event collection at gillespieflorists.com!

When is wedding season? Spring and summer are tried and true but fall and winter welcome weddings too! Here at Gillespie Florists, wedding season can happen at any time and the first weekend of October 2016 is a prime example!

Fall weddings have been well underway and the first weekend of October 2016 was a definite indicator that another current of wedding weather had begun. We'll take it and love all the many themes and colors which roll out during this time of year.  Take a look at samples from our Eight Wedding weekend! They are picture perfect, just the way you want your weddingd day to be.

Fresh designs and favored traditional ones with brilliant color and texture, this weekend had it all. Traditional wedding florals such as callas and roses incorporated into quite a few of our bouquets while gerberas were used in striking nosegays and accesorized table pieces in others. One of top choices on my list was the eye-catching bridal bouquet of blue thorn thistle, soft pink roses and roses of popping color of orange! Speaking of wild colors, the contrast of white callas and deep blue roses in the cascading bridal bouquet is simply stunning! Another personal favorite is the sweet peach color callas clustered together with rich red roses and the most luscious sherbert-colored roses! Hypericum berries and leucadendron accessorize this fall themed bouquet with exquisite texture and color. Let's not forget classic pastel and cream colors continuing their parade into the fall/winter season with the prominence of babies breath and hydrangea from that weekend as well!

Brilliant bold colors, soft vintage pastels and everything in between; the first weekend of October 2016 was a fabulous way to herald in fall with the beautiful colors and weather which come with it. Do you have a favorite wedding season? Ours is any time we have the opportunity to create gorgeous flowers fit for the occasion and help brides make their wedding day dreams come true! 

Planning a wedding? Need inspiration for wedding flowers? Check out our extensive wedding collection!

Succulents: Low maintenance; available in variety of colors, shapes, sizes; versatile; garden friendly; wedding friendly; plays well with fashion trends; and inexpensive?  Where do I sign up?

The possibilities are endless with these hardy little "fat plants" as they are sometimes referred. Desirable for their ornamental looks and hardy nature there is no telling what our creative brains will come up with next in terms of how to use these versatile flowers. Succulents are in high fashion for weddings and it's no wonder. Dress them up with sophisticated ohara roses and ranunculous or go loose leafed and airy with caspia and cabbage, there's no stopping these plants from being a bridal favorite all over the country and with our brides at Gillespie Florists! All of our wedding flowers are gorgeous and the ones which incorporate succelents are no exception! We've put together a collage of just a few of our stunning designs including these popular plants!

From soft and subtle to outstanding bold and vibrant, succelents are a lovely addition to all manner of themes and styles.
Let's not stop there, the exotic look and low maintenance appeal of succulents go further than your average wedding flowers. Go to your neighborhood dollar store, value store, favorite found object shop and pick up containers matching your theme and decorate the reception tables with these take home favors for guests. Create a long lasting impression which will add flair and interest to any home and/or garden! This is just one of hundreds of ideas on succelent incorporation into weddings. Just check your favorite idea collecting website (you know which one I'm talking about...i bet you have hundreds of pins to prove it too!).

There are many pros to utilizing succelents in weddings! Low maintenance; variety of sizes, shapes and colors; year round availability; low cost and versatile. Thinking of incorporating them into your wedding? Give us a call today and schedule a free consultation with our wedding specialist!

-Franklin P. Jones 

There is something very special about creating gorgeous bouquets and arrangements for one of the most unforgettable moments in a couple's life. We take snapshots of our wedding florals before they are whisked away to the event; it isn't often we see the final picture. Ever wonder what happens to the flowers after they leave the shop? One of our delightful wedding couples sent us pictures from their big day to share with you.

 Let's start off with the bridal party, shall we?

Such lovely ladies and beautiful bouquets! The color and theme took shape around the Bohemian style of the clutch bridal bouquet. Soft, flowing, with a fantastic variety of texture through the burgandy hanging amaranthus, seeded and gunni eucalyptus, misty limonium, and white open cut roses. Sumatra lilies and dark red spray roses added depth to the design while the cream ribbon wrap tied the look together.
The bridesmaids shared a similar style of clutch bouquet with white button mums, misty limonium and gunni eucalyptus, hand-tied with a deep red ribbon wrap for added pop of burgandy color. 

Here comes a closeup of the bridal bouquet and the happy groom!

Mr. Kyle Conner is styling with a deep red spray rose bloom, white button mum bloom and purple cushion mum bloom with touches of white waxflower, misty limonium and seeded eucalyptus in his trendy boutounniere. The groomsmen wore similar boutouniere sans a purple cushion mum bloom. Let's see a photo of all these handsome men together! Looking sharp!

Speaking of members of the wedding party, we've got a couple of reception photos from the reception featuring the cake!

The cake topper was centered around a beautiful silver letter "C" embedded with rhinestones! The designers artfully designed loose flowers including white button mums, red alstroemeria, amaranthus, eucalyptus and more around this special piece. The final effect is elegant with a flair of whimsical fun which is an excellent combination for a Bohemian theme.  You may be wondering why I haven't mentioned the table centerpiece to the right (your right) of the image above. This arrangement shares a special quality with the centerpiece in the photo below. Do you know what it is? I'll tell you, but first, let's appreciate the precious moment happening, the lighting of the Unity candle. 

What an incredible moment in the ceremony... 
Okay, still waiting for me to divulge the interesting commonality between the two centerpieces. Actually between the altar centerpiece and the cocktail, guest table, and small centerpieces at the reception.  Besides using limonium, red alstroemeria, seeded eucalyptus, red hanging amaranthus, and hydrangea, these centerpieces were all DIY (Design-It-Yourself)! 

How does DIY work at our shop? The client, like Jaicie, provides the containers and purchases the flowers at a discounted rate from Gillespie Florists. Then we provide the design space and help, when needed, as the flowers are assembled by client and friends!  It is a great way to save a bit of money and spend time with friends/family while adding an extra special personal touch to your big day.

Thank you once again Kyle and Jaicie Conner, for having us share in your wedding day! Congratulations!
Special thanks to Kristeen Marie Photography for providing the superb photos of the wedding and reception!

Finding inspiration in this article for your wedding day? Check out our online wedding collection here!

Schedule a free wedding consultation with our wedding specialist!

"Autumn is a second Spring to me
where every leaf is a flower."

-Albert Camus

There is the most wonderful time of the year and then there is the most beautiful time of the year. Perhaps I'm biased due to the perfect September day on which I married my wonderful geek of guy. Maybe it's because my birthday falls in the exciting month of October. I've got handfuls of reasons why Fall has a special place reserved in my heart and I bet there are plenty of others out there who feel the same. One of the reasons for adoration of the season of Autumn is weddings. Who doesn't love them? The rich, warm colors from above, temps which don't melt the makeup off your face, and all the harvest glory which can be used in your wedding decor should you so choose. And then there are the flowers! Today we walk down memory lane with a snapshot of some of our favorite bouquets from Fall 2015.

As mentioned before I'm a big fan of Fall weddings because of my own. My wedding was like a fairy tale complete with leaves gently drifting down the path as I...well, it's a great story which you can read about here! Ok back to the subject; there have been so many gorgeous bouquets to choose from for our Fall Wedding snapshot there may need to be a Part 2! Without further ado, a 2015 Fall Wedding Bouquets of Gillespie Florists Snapshot.  

Weddings during this time of year have access to all kinds of flowers, colors, accessories, etc. Go with the flow of the seasonal colors of rich red, gold, orange, plum or deep burgandy. Not feeling the vibrant colors of the season? A palette of creamy white, pink, and peach can soften up the bold outdoors and add a vintage or shabby chic flair to your theme. 

A few of our brides' select flowers this season include callas of all colors; roses of red, softest pink, and ivory; bright and brilliant gerberas; delicate hydrangea; and our fall favorites: mums and daisies! The themes range from superb elegance to sweet and simple country and everything in between. 

There you have it. A fine looking collection of our favorite fall wedding bouquets. Autumn can certainly bring out quite a diverse selection of color combinations, themes, and style. There have been so many lovely weddings this image would scroll for quite a bit to see all the bountiful beauty of this season.

Planning a wedding? Need more inspiration and examples of our work?  Visit our website to see an extended collection and schedule a free consultation with our experienced and friendly wedding specialist!

Get your scrunchies tightened and throw on a denim jacket! It's time for another 80's trend comeback in the shape of weddings! Babies Breath, mismatched bridesmaids dresses and balloons are along for the ride but the most notable comeback in terms of wedding flowers is the Cascading Bouquet! 

Were cascading bouquets ever out of trend? Well, yes and no, historically speaking. This gorgeous shape of overflowing florals replaced the petite posey bouquet around 1910. After a couple of decades of being the go-to bouquet among brides everywhere the style had evolved into a grand event itself. The showering bouquet had become so exaggerated in size it overwhelmed the bride and overflowed with yards of ribbons for 'Lovers' knots' where more blooms and foliage were inserted. The 1930's and war time brought about a complete overhaul in wedding style. Instead of romantic and frilly, there was smart and simple suits. The elaborate design of the showering bouquet was replaced with corsages.

Was this the end of the showering bouquet? Indeed not! They re-emerged as "Princess" in honor of the late Princess Diana and her large, multi-trail bouquet. Later in the 80's a smaller shower bouquet returned and with it new shapes such as teardrop; crescent; trail; and the most contemporary; cascading. 

Waterfall-shaped dimensions, width across the top similar to the width below which gives a more natural flowing look. Their long, elegant lines often more flattering and complement both elaborate and vintage gowns exquisitely.

In days of yore the cascading bouquets, chock full of expensive flowers, added up to a very hefty price. One of the modern twists on this design has your pocketbook in mind. The trend is texture, greenery and foliage are our friends! Added bonus, the size of the bouquet can range from grandiose to rustic and quaint. As with most floral designs in this present day; the world is your oyster when it comes to having a dream wedding come true complete with a trendy cascading bouquet. Be it on a budget or celebrating your lottery win with the wedding of the century; the fine designers of Gillespie Florists can help you out. Just give us a call, schedule a complimentary consultation with our wedding specialist and check our wedding collection (such as these samples below) online!

And the award for the most vibrantly colored wedding trend of them all this year goes to: Kaliedoscope!

The name does a good job at tipping you off to what the trend is all about: delicious eye-candy you can almost taste presented in bold and sophisticated modern fashion. Certainly we do adore smooth and rich luxury; there's a place for earthy, rustic texture; however we cannot deny the extreme excitement which ignites with a pop of radical color! 

 Enjoy a taste of Mother Nature's rainbow with the wedding color trend: Kaleidoscope. Contemporary design is created through the use of simple shapes and dynamic colors such as coral red, bright orange, neon yellow/green, bright turquoise, hot pinks, black, white and emerald green! So many gorgeous colors; how is it possible we have these natural hues available? We do in flowers such as billy ball, fuji mums, joyful gerberas, playful green trick and those ever popular ranunculus which keep appearing in our trends this year. Adding more color and stepping outside the comfort zone of florals we add fruits such as illuminating limes, scintillating oranges, lemons, and other vibrant produce to continue the modern trend. The use of sleek wires, neon sand, and other simple lined items round out the look and tie all our colorful elements with topiaries and geometric shapes of clear glass cubes, cylinders, and bold contrast graphic print containers. 

What time is the right time for this outstanding color statement? The deep chill of winter will gain heat and summer thirst will be quenched with the hot juicy pop of these spectacular colors. Whether your wedding occurs during day or night, this brilliant color delight will set the mood for a festive celebration of your love. 

Modern Garden, Lapis Luxury, Kaleidoscope, Majestic; what 2015 wedding trend speaks to you? We have lovely examples of each and more on our website! Check out our extensive collection online and find even more at our shop when you contact our wedding specialist for a free consultation!

Elegant, classy, sophisticated, urbane: these adjectives and many more found under the thesaurus when your fingers dance delicately over the keys to spell out the word "refined" and hit "enter". What else do these elite words of finery describe in terms of 2015's trends for wedding colors and themes? Rich and Luxurious. However, it doesn't have to be rich in expenditure: keep it simple with crisp clean lines, bold contrast in colors, and simplified table settings and centerpieces. Pure and pristine white with bold statement accent of blues inspired by waters of the world will reflect the classy and formal elements.

The flowers used for this sophisticated theme are nothing more than supreme in their stature and refinement as white calla lilies, roses, tulips, and peonies combined with the blue flowers of either hydrangea or delphinium are utilized. Centerpiece container colors range from white and blue to a mixture of both. Another option which will retain a classic look is to apply the elegance found in the lines and simplicity of calla lilies and tulips. Combine a few stems of either with a tall clear glass vase and you will have a bold statement softened with simple lines and color. 

The Lapis Luxury theme is the black-tie affair modernized with an evening ceremony and receptions featuring either sit-down table service dining; however, a more budget friendly approach of cocktails and appetizers would also fit the fancy bill.

Regardless of the time of day, budget, venue, etc. the refined wedding trend featuring classic colors of white and blue, using the graceful and sophisticated blooms of callas, roses, hydrangea, and more, will make a luxurious and memorable statement on for your grand wedding affair.

Need bridal bouquet ideas and inspiration? Visit our online collection here!

Click below to schedule a complimentary wedding consultation with us!